Until All Have Heard
Until All Have Heard
A Summer of Innovation (Ep. 296)
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What’s new? We all like to stay current with what’s going on. The same is true for ministries that want to keep up with a changing world. Find out what’s new, as we hear Ed’s report on an innovation conference with FEBC leadership. You’ll also get to hear interviews from staff who attended the conference. Hear their insights about the need to keep fresh with the latest ways to nurture and tap into the potential of ministry their staff…Until All Have Heard.
So pleaded to be with you for another edition of Until All Have Heard from the Far East Broadcasting Company. I'm Wayne Shepard here with Ed Cannon, president of FEBC. And something a little different today, we're going to talk about what we're calling the summer of innovation. And there was a forum held recently. Yeah that uh whose idea was that? Was that your idea, Ed?
SPEAKER_02Well, kind of. It started about three years ago when we said, what is the common strategy of FEBC International? You see, we focus very heavily on each country developing its own internal strategy. How are we going to use radio? How are we going to use social media? What kind of broadcast do we put together? How do we connect with the local church in some detail? And it varies very much between sort of a country of Ukraine versus Vietnam versus India. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_01But at the same time, one idea may transpose to another culture somewhere else. That's exactly right.
SPEAKER_02That's exactly right. So we we developed this pillar in our common strategy that said we need to be an innovative culture. And in order to do that, we have to explain to a lot of people what does innovation mean, and how can you develop a DNA within our organization that says we don't just stop every time we come up with an obstacle? A government will stop us from broadcasting or some local religious people will block our ability to broadcast. How do we think differently about getting around that? Don't let that stop you. What else can we do? What can we do differently that allows us to get the broadcast out regardless of the circumstances? So in order to build that innovation of culture, we've been having Zoom meetings with our l young staff for years now.
SPEAKER_01Aaron Ross Powell Yeah, and they have so many ideas, by the way. I mean, I've encountered them and learned myself so many things from them. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02Can't we do this? Can't we do that? Mr. Cannon, I've got a great idea. Let's try this. Okay, so what we decided to do is get all that enthusiasm together in one room and just have a a conference where these young people are together, they can get to know each other, they can talk about what they're doing, they can give presentations. We tried this and that didn't work. We tried this and that didn't work, but that didn't stop us. Then we thought, well, why don't we do something like this? And to hear those kind of stories just enthuses the audience. And actually, Wayne, what happened was uh so many ideas came out of the gathering that weren't things that somebody was already doing, but it was a combination. They tried this and that didn't work. We tried this, that didn't work. But if we meld those two ideas to modify it, sure. There's some well, let's try this. And so but the most important thing was this um enthusiasm, passion, uh the relational gathering of our innovation conference, and we're gonna get to hear some of those today. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_01Great. Well, uh I love bringing the brain power together to learn from each other. And so this uh conference, this forum on innovation, took place in Helsinki. Why Helsinki?
SPEAKER_02Trevor Burrus, Jr. We have a partner in Helsinki, it's called the Messengers or Sansa. Um, it is a long-standing relationship that FABC has had with this organization, Sansa, and they partner with the local church in Finland. And because of the rules of the government, there's a certain amount of money that churches donate to uh ministry. So it's for the purpose of mission. And they have a certain amount of money that automatically comes to them through the church, and then there's donors as well, but they they don't do the work, they collect the money and discern where's the best way to spend it. And so we've been partnering with them for a long time. They like what FEBC does, they evaluate the ministry fields and what they're accomplishing, and they donate money to us. So they offered to sponsor the event in a in a gathering there in Helsinki, which was great. It's easy for us to get to Helsinki. Some of the ministry fields of FEBC aren't allowed to go to other places because of some local rules and regulations, but everybody can go to Finland.
SPEAKER_01We're going to hear from some of the participants here. Our own Jonathan Morti sat down and did a couple of interviews that we're going to hear. But just before that, a side note, you were invited to a radio program while you're in Finland.
SPEAKER_02Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Yeah, that's right. There's a there's a large Christian radio network there. I think they said they have 25 radio stations in Finland, which means, you know, there's like one radio station for every 5,000 people, which is great. I love it. And they said, would you come and do an interview and talk to us about what international mission is all about? It was a live program. Uh their local broadcaster sat down with us and we took some live phone calls from the people. It's obvious that there's a tremendous interest in that country about how does international mission work? What is the global evangelical presence of ministry that allows us to take the gospel beyond the borders of Finland and go out to the world?
SPEAKER_01I had a great time. I'm glad you had that opportunity. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02And they translated me into Finnish. And so I played a bit of that for my wife, and she said it doesn't sound like you at all.
SPEAKER_01So okay, well, oh that's great. All right. Well, we're going to hear from uh from a man we affectionate called Knop. Yeah. Introduce us to Knop.
SPEAKER_02Well, his real name is Knopakoon Provencialask, and I can't pronounce it right, but so I apologize. Where is he from? He's from Thailand. He's he was born in a Mian culture, so he is a Mian by background. So his primary language is Mian. He taught himself Thai language, and then he's come to FEBC, and now he s speaks pretty good English, so I apologize in advance. His English is not great, but understand this is at at least his third language. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_01That's amazing.
SPEAKER_02But he is the minister he's the director over FEBC's Ethnic Minority Language Ministry. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_01He was a participant in this innovation forum, and Jonathan Ortiz sat down to talk with him. We'll hear from another man in just a moment, but let's listen to Nob.
SPEAKER_00What are the things that you learned uh from the media innovation forum here in Helsinki?
SPEAKER_04So uh what I heard here in the uh in the loom, the what they're channeling, about the innovation, how to uh work in our ministry. So the one thing I have learned is uh about I think so maybe how to do the network team in our ministry because we have many uh languages so after we back, we have to do uh many network in there. So we have I have learned from here so how to um changing or how to improving so and how to uh uh something new, and so we I have learned something that so I think after we back to uh Thailand.
SPEAKER_00How many languages now?
SPEAKER_04Uh we have 22 languages, yeah. So every we want to have uh a network. That's our dream. Yeah, our dream. So we pray and if God we have uh network, it's a 22 language network that we have to network to the church leader and also uh pastor in the church. So we we we we we connect to them and then let them to be uh follow-up team in in the field, in the church, in the uh in the mountain, something like that. They are close to our listeners there. So we want to do the network with them and to serving God with them. Helping them and they're helping us so we be uh good friends.
SPEAKER_02Good, good. Knopakun is really invested in creating, as he was speaking, this network. It's a network which connects broadcasters to churches and churches to individual people. So it's not just FEBC that's doing the work. And I it's so evident because Knopp has got so many people that attend his conferences that aren't broadcasters, that they're church leaders, they're evangelists in their country, and it truly is a combined.
SPEAKER_01That's pretty wonderful to hear, actually. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. He he you know, and it goes right along with our philosophy of being networked with a local church and close to the listener. And I loved his last line so that we can be a good friend. We don't want to supplant the church, we don't want to become a church ourselves. We want to be a tool for the church and we want to be connected to the listener so that they would say you're a good friend.
SPEAKER_01We're gonna hear again from Napakun in a few moments, but we also want to hear from Joshua as Jonathan spoke with him at the Innovation Forum. Uh, who is Joshua?
SPEAKER_02Aaron Ross Powell Joshua is the son of FEBC's uh Camus broadcaster of 35 years. His father, Sion, uh, is a Camus-speaking Thai who has been ministering on shortwave and now social media to the Camus people for 35 years. Joshua is his son and likely his um replacement eventually. And he helps his father. He's instrumental in Southeast Asia, helping us work together with all these 22 languages. He's a young man, and uh you're gonna hear who he is when he's speaking.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, his English is incredible, by the way. So here's Jonathan with Joshua.
SPEAKER_00What have you learned, the kind of the aha moments in uh the media innovation forum here in Helsinki?
SPEAKER_03Well, coming here was a real eye-opener, just sensing the FBC international leadership, just in seeing the need to innovate. Uh, that's already innovative in itself, because if we don't innovate, we wouldn't be here today. The times are changing fast. So just seeing how leadership sees pinpoints that or sees the need to innovate is already very encouraging and empowering, and bringing in all the leaders really here, and young leaders here to just come and learn together and sit. Despite the diversity, there is inclusion, uh, thoughts and challenging and and fellowship in one spirit. So seeing that really implements the care that every BC International sees uh for the different fields, um, and and keeping that one mission, which is Christ to the world by media. And that's very encouraging because we tend to get stuck maybe in the old tradition in the ways, but if we don't innovate, how that's saying we won't. I mean, obviously, you have to keep tradition and history, but understand how to move forward into this new age, this rapid changing age. Um, just learning new things, um, ideas, teamwork, really, it's all basic principles, but you know, put it in front of you. Maybe some people are already doing it without thinking this is innovative, which we just don't know. So this paints a real clarity on on things that that I've been learning here.
SPEAKER_00How many countries is represented this time? I think it was 21. Yeah, 21 and and seeing them is that's a big encouragement for you, right? And they're also thinking of innovation innovations to their own languages or to their own people.
SPEAKER_03Right, that is correct. Um, obviously every context is is uh is different. Um, but the principles are the same. It's just a matter of how you implement it, take pieces of it, and just be able to, okay, this works, that doesn't work. But as long as you're thinking and innovating as a leader, because because you can't you can't just stop. I mean, innovation is is has to be within you in leadership positions to to bring them along with you. Like the thing, the key thing one of the sessions was being a leader is bring them along with your on your journey, right? That that's that's what I really, really took. How do I bring my people that I'm leading with along with me, not behind me? Not I'm in front of them, but hey, let's go together, sharing that vision, um, being innovative together and empowering them. That's what I really learned uh in in these fields, is just empowering people. And you gotta they gotta make mistakes to learn, and that's okay.
SPEAKER_00Now, um, what are the things that you'd like to implement um in your particular ministry?
SPEAKER_03Well, in my field, one of the things I really, really want to implement is delegation. Uh sometimes in leadership, not sometimes, maybe we tend to just want to really want to micromanage everything. Everything has to come through us, but there are things that I do really want to delegate not only tasks, but understand these tasks have responsibility and have ownership. Uh, and just being let go of that, I wouldn't say control, but being let go of that duty and let my staff or my guys just take responsibility and then make mistakes and learn from it. Don't ever be afraid to make mistakes. I do too but they and then communication, very clearly of what communication is, their role, and what they need to do.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, just how about max maximizing uh social media? I know you mentioned that earlier.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's that's something that that I do want to maximize social media because it's to the new gen. How do I carry on that outreach to the new generation? You know, sometimes we have to think about replacing ourselves. We have to think of secession. It's it's not our work, it's God's work. You know, there are times when we all could be called to different seasons of life. How do we use the media, the digital media space to to encourage and and nurture new believers? They could be the future gen. We need to work on that. So that's what really inspired me. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_02One of the emphasis that Joshua places on the ministry is really reaching out to the next generation. You know, not too many 20-year-olds today are listening to FM radio, and certainly not too many 20-year-olds are listening to shortwave radio, uh, the radio of their parents. So we're concentrating on saying we need to be on the platform where people go to. We need to meet people where they are. And currently, it's on social media. So Joshua is taking this legacy ministry that his father has been doing for decades and saying we need to modify it only slightly so that the young people listen. It's all about the gospel, it's all about Jesus Christ and placing your faith in him, but it's on a platform that's different. So that's why it's good to have young people like Joshua. Aaron Ross Powell, Jr.
SPEAKER_01Well, the innovative ideas exchange continued. Let's go back to Napakun here, and Jonathan's going to speak with him again, and we'll learn more from what they uh what they learned together at the summer conference.
SPEAKER_00You were talking about the generation, the new generation, or the younger, younger people. How how do you do it? And how would you like to um to apply the innovation for for the younger crowd?
SPEAKER_04What they are showing, the youth uh youth ministry, so they're showing to us. So and uh we also concern about our uh our language, our people. We have and we need young people to be the leader. That's uh something we we try to do. So we can have we have learned, we have se the picture, what they are showing, you know, the whole picture, and how do we uh do the use military? So we want to encourage our uh young people to be the leader and to close to God and give their lives to God, and then they will be the good leader in the future to serving God in the church. So in the church still need uh the young people to be the leader in the future. So that way we saw the picture.
SPEAKER_00I'm saying that the budget, because I always see the budget for for the ethnic ministry. You have uh you have put a budget really for the youth. Yeah. What are the plans that you're thinking there?
SPEAKER_04So we want to uh have an also letting the youth to come to work together, to be friends, to be a group, to be uh setting line and network to encourage each other to to to serving God to each other. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Are they gonna make new programs uh particularly? Um I mean definitely for the youth, but from from different ethnic peoples, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, now we have uh our main people group. So we have uh young youth team already. So we make the program. Uh every week, every week, once a week, we uh come together and we make the program. We are doing rich teaming to encourage to uh the young people and we talk to the young people. So we have we have quite good feedback for them, for the young people have the feedback for them. So we are uh we are planning to have the other language to have uh the like what what what language? Oh so it's just um maybe at Tai Lu also want to do that. So and also maybe Lao also talk to me. So the other language also they want they want to have. So we we pray, if God will we have the other language for the young the young leader.
SPEAKER_02So Napakun was speaking about a new generation that we're trying to reach with new programs on new platforms. And since FEBC is so scripturally focused, I turn to Mark chapter one. Jesus said, Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also, for this is what I came for. And that's exactly what FEBC is trying to do with this ethnic minority language ministry and in our innovation. New platforms, new program types, reaching new generations. It's just like new towns. Jesus went from town to town proclaiming his gospel. We're going from generation to generation, platform to platform, always thinking about how we can come up with innovative solutions to take the gospel effectively to the people so they can hear and place their faith in him.
SPEAKER_01Aaron Powell Yes. Our thanks to Jonathan Martise, by the way, who is a regional director for Southeast Asia for FEBC, who was at the conference and brought these uh interviews to us here for the podcast today.
SPEAKER_02I attended the ethnic minority gathering and I spent half of my time almost weeping because we spoke to you about that on an earlier podcast, yeah. It was so encouraging that so many people are so committed with so few resources and doing such an enormous job, Wayne, at reaching these people absolutely unreached. Many of the languages that we're broadcasting in have not yet received a a translation of the Bible in their language. And so the only way they can hear i is through gospel proclamation on the radio. And yeah, I was really touched. We spent half an hour one day at each ministry field, each of these twenty-two languages wrote down their prayer requests and they're praying that more people would listen. They're praying that they have the right programs. But one of these men who had come on a bus, it took him 18 hours to get there on a bus, he wrote on his prayer request I'm praying for travel expenses for a ticket home. And the thing that was fascinating about that is we're going around praying over these written things. Someone had taken a small amount of Thai money and rolled it up and put it right next to his prayer request. And so I stood back at a distance and watched, and when this man came back to gather his own prayer request list that he had there, he put his hands together and thanked God for this blessing of probably $10 U.S. who had someone had provided for his travel. So it's just it's touching to me to see how committed these minority languages are. And I would ask you to pray for us. Pray for these broadcasters, because they're in difficult circumstances, um living in hot and humid places with lots of bugs. I was I'm not going to complain, but we didn't have the finest of accommodations there. And that's their life. They live that way, committed to Christ, broadcasting the gospel. Um, and it's just so encouraging. The summer of innovation was one about gathering these people together so they can share their ideas. The worship that they had together was so touching. You know, they're singing, they're praying together, hugging each other, building friendships, and building this network that Knopp talked about to reach.
SPEAKER_01Love it, love it. All right. Well, thanks for this report, Ed, and what a privilege for us to support people like we've heard from today here at the Far East Broadcasting Company. So thanks for your support, of course, which includes your prayers for this ministry. And that leads me to offer the prayer target, which is available at our website to guide you on how to pray for these various ministries around the world. Go to FEBC.org for that. Yeah, I think we'll close it up for now, Ed, but thank you for today, and we'll be back next week with another podcast.
SPEAKER_02It's always a joy to be with you, Wayne. It's always a joy to be with those of you who are listening who join us in prayer and our support for taking the gospel to the least reached until all have heard.
SPEAKER_01Until all have heard is produced by Joe Carlson for the Far East Broadcasting Company.